San Bernardino County Hit-and-Run Auto Accident Injures Two

By John Bisnar

Two teenagers were struck and injured in a hit-and-run auto accident as they were walking down a street in Adelanto in San Bernardino County. According to this news report in the San Bernardino Sun, a 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old woman were walking on Bellflower Street the evening of March 1, 2009 when a vehicle struck them both and continued driving north on Bellflower.

Several neighbors said they heard the crash, but no one reported seeing the hit-and-run vehicle. Someone called 911 saying he found a boy and a woman lying on the road with injuries. San Bernardino Sheriff’s deputies believe that the hit-and-run vehicle must have had a shattered windshield and other front-end damage based on the debris left at the scene. Both the injured victims were taken by helicopter to an area hospital. If you saw this Adelanto San Bernardino hit-and-run auto accident or have any information about it, please call the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Adelanto station at 760-246-1000.

My heart goes out to the two young people who were apparently seriously injured in this hit-and-run collision. I wish them the very best for a speedy and complete recovery. I hope and pray that their injuries are not catastrophic.
I trust that the person who did this to the teenagers will be apprehended and brought to justice. Leaving the scene of an injury accident is a crime and comes with serious consequences. California Vehicle Code Section 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.” Hit-and-run is also a crime under California Penal Code Section 192. A conviction could result in a lengthy prison sentence.

The injured victims in this case would be well-advised to contact a California pedestrian accident attorney, who will not only help hold the negligent parties accountable, but will also help the victims and their families deal with insurance companies. If the suspect driver is never found or if he or she is uninsured, then the victims may be covered under the uninsured/underinsured motorist clause of a motor vehicle insurance policy that they have benefits under. According to California law, if you have auto insurance, it covers everyone in your household, even if they are not named in the policy. That could include your cousin, mother-in-law, brother or even a roommate. If they are members of your household, they should be covered.

That said, it is never easy to get money out of insurance companies. That’s why you need a skilled personal injury attorney to deal with insurance companies and negotiate a fair settlement in your case.

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